Improvement in bee-hives



UNITED STATES P. S. VARD, OF-MILLVILLE, IOVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,740, dated October2l, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, P. S. VARD, of Millville, in the county of Claytonand State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Bee- Hive; andI dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in whiche Figure lrepresents by a perspective view a divided hive embodying my invention,some portion of each division or part being removed, to show theinterior. Fig. 2represents a transverse section of the same alltogether.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

The objects of this invention are, first, to enable the apiarist at anytime to inspect the working of the bees and to observe their con- Adition, and also to enable him at any time proper to divide the colony,and safely form two families ont of one; second, to obtain a moreeffectual means of protecting the bees from the ravages of the moth.

The invention consists informing a hivewin two equal uniform parts, andadapting said parts to be used separately or combined; also, in apeculiar construction of mothtrap, all as will be hereinafter fullyexplained.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use myinvention, I will proceed to describeits construction and opera tion.

In Fig. l of the drawings the hive is represented as separated into twoparts. Fach of these parts is composed of a bottom board, A,

end pieces, B B', side pieces, C, and top board,

D. The top board, D, is formed in two parts,

one of which is permanently attached tothe top edges of the end pieces,B B', by common wood-screws. The other, being provided on its inner edgewith a tenon adapted to tit a mortise in the other, is thereby securedat its back edge, while it is fastened in front by a hook, a, and eye b.(Shown clearly in Fig. 2.) By having only a portion of the top removablethe comb-frames may be introduced or removed at pleasure withoutdangerof disturbing the bees. The side boards, C C, at

each end project some distance beyond the end pieces, forming ears,through which, when the two parts of the hive are put together to form aperfect hive, metallic rods c care 1itted,said

rods having a head on one end and a thumbscrew on the other, whereby thetwo parts of the hive are brought firmly together, being prevented fromvertical or lateral movement independently by doweLpins d d on the inneredge of one bottom board entering corresponding holes in the inner edgeof the other.

The sash or comb-frames E are made in the usual manner, and suspended attheir upper ends on rabbets formed in the inner top edges of the endpieces, B B.

In the angle formed on the outside of each part of the hive by the unionof the bottom and side boards, A and C, respectively, is fitted atriangular block, F, having notches cutin the two inner sides.These,'when the block is adjusted in position, open into a space, ef,formed by cutting away the bottom edge of the side board, G, and bycutting a mortise, f, down through the bottom board, A, directly underthe side board, C. (Shown clearly in Fig. 2.) rIhe object of theseblocks F with openings is to invite the moth to deposit its eggs in thesmall spaces.

'Io prevent the mot-hs from entering the hive, a metal plate, g,perforated with small holes, is fastened against the sideboard, C, onthe inside, directly opposite the openingsin the triangular-block F. Thesmall holes or perforations in the plate g allow fresh air to pass intothe hive for the purpose of ventilation, but are too small to allow themoth or its larva or caterpillar to enter. The blocks F are secured inplace by a button, h, (which is fastened by a screw tothe side board,0,) and may be taken olf and pnt back at pleasure. From the inner bottomedge of the block F, when inposition on the hive, the mortise j' in thebottom board, A, lis beveled sharply, (shown in Fig. 2,) so that if thecaterpillar comes outward it is very liable to fall off. If it goes in,it falls through the mortise in the bottom board, A, onto the ground.Similar blocks are fitted in front, directly under the passage orentrance to the hive, with corresponding openings in the bottom board.

Thetwo parts of the hive being together, to separate them either forinspection or for permanent division,two metallic plates, H H,

which may of sheet-iron or zinc, are placed i between them, asufficient-sized space being made to admit them by loosening the rods.One of these plates H is then fastened to each part of the hive by ahook at each end catch` ing into a staple soldered to the plates.

In order to have the plates properly adj ust themselves when introducedbetween the two parts of the hive,a depression is formed across thecenter of each of them, forming a rib, i', on its back side. These ribst' enter corre sponding grooves formed in posts, of which there is onein each part of the hive. The plates being adjusted and fastened and therods removed, either part of the hivemay be taken from the other and anempty half-hive put in its place. The two parts being then fastenedtogether and metallic plates removed, as before explained, the bees inthe old part will enter and fill the empty new part, and hence thecolony will be doubled.

In case it is simply desirable to examine into the condition ofthecolony after separation, as above, and the bees have become quiet, themetallic plate may be unhooked and dropped over, so as to allow a fullView into the hive.

If preferred, long hooks and eyes may be used instead of the rods andthumb-nuts for fastening together the two parts,to form a perfect hive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the metallic plates I-I II, hooksv and eyes a b,respectively, and rods c c, with the two parts of a divided hive, whenthe whole is constructed and arranged in the manner and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination of the blocks F and buttons h, or their equivalents,with the mortises ef and perforated plate g, when constructed andarranged in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

l?. S. VARD.

Witnesses:

JOHN V. BALL, W. W. FLENNIKEN.

